Love in the Illusion

4

Chapter 4

At eleven in the evening, Xu Sui had finished washing up and was lying in bed, checking the next day's class schedule when the senior student came to inspect the dorm. Only she and Liang Shuang were in the room, while Bai Yuyue had yet to return.

From the very first day Bai Yuyue moved in, she had demarcated her territory, emphasizing her cleanliness obsession and warning them not to place their belongings near hers or touch her things.

Liang Shuang had some complaints about this, but Bai Yuyue otherwise didn't have any conflicts with them. After all, they were still classmates, so Liang Shuang still helped out.

When the senior came to check the room, Liang Shuang feigned surprise: "Oh, I forgot. Our teacher called her away for something. She should be back soon. Senior, how about this—I'll have her report to you to cancel her leave when she returns."

"Alright, then you all should go to bed early," the senior said.

After seeing the senior off, Liang Shuang sighed: "Bai Yuyue is really bold, going out on a date and not coming back so late."

Xu Sui put down her phone, the image of the two being intimate that evening flashing in her mind. Her heart felt tangled by invisible threads, suffocating. She lowered her lashes: "She should be back soon."

She didn't feel like continuing the topic and glanced at the empty bed across the room, saying, "I heard the new roommate is arriving tomorrow."

Xu Sui had signed up quite late, which was why they were assigned to the same dorm room. There was still one empty bed—rumor had it that the student had taken a month's leave for personal reasons and would only arrive tomorrow.

"I heard she's from the Veterinary Medicine department. How nice, saving little animals. If only I'd chosen that major—my brain must have been waterlogged when I picked this grueling Clinical Medicine program. It's only been a month, and my hair's already thinning. By graduation, I might as well change my name to Liang Sanmao (Three Hairs Liang)," Liang Shuang remarked.

"Then... should I order you some hair growth tonic?" Xu Sui ventured tentatively.

"Mhmm, thank you so much!" Liang Shuang gave her a heart gesture.

Xu Sui burst into laughter, her earlier gloomy mood lightening a bit. As the two were chatting, Bai Yuyue pushed the door open and entered. Liang Shuang mentioned the sales matter to her, and Bai Yuyue seemed in good spirits, even thanking Liang Shuang.

The next day, the new roommate arrived, followed by two people carrying large and small luggage. The new roommate wore sunglasses and was dressed in designer brands, with two guys about to follow her inside.

The new roommate raised a finger and said seriously, "A girl's private room is no place for you smelly men to enter!"

The two young men froze at the words, unsure whether to move forward or retreat with their luggage. The new roommate pulled out a few red bills from her bag and handed them over, saying breezily, "Just leave them by the door."

"Alright, Miss Hu, we'll be on our way."

The dorm room was empty except for Xu Sui, who happened to be reading. Hearing the noise, she closed her book and walked over, saying, "Let me help you."

After the two of them pulled the luggage inside together, the new roommate took off her sunglasses, instantly breaking the sense of distance. She introduced herself, "Hi there, I'm Hu Xixi from the Animal Medicine (Class Three). You can call me Xixi."

Only then did Xu Sui get a clear look at her appearance—comic-style straight bangs, large eyes, cheeks still carrying a hint of baby fat, and a slightly plump figure, giving off a bright and adorable vibe.

"Clinical Medicine, Class One, Xu Sui. You can call me whatever you like," Xu Sui said.

It was Hu Qianxi's first time living away from home in a dormitory, and she was rather haphazard in packing her things. When it came to fitting the duvet cover, she ended up crawling entirely into the bedsheet, grumbling all the while, and still didn't manage to succeed in the end.

Xu Sui found it both amusing and exasperating, patting her on the back as she said, "Let me help you."

After passing through Xu Sui's hands, the quilt cover instantly became neat. After tidying up the dorm room, Xu Sui accompanied her new roommate to register for a campus card and buy daily necessities.

Throughout the entire process, Xu Sui didn't utter a single complaint, and Hu Qianxi immediately took a liking to this girl who appeared sweet and obedient on the outside but was remarkably methodical in her actions.

From then on, Hu Qianxi became an invisible human-shaped accessory by Xu Sui's side, constantly chattering "Suisui this" and "Suisui that," even reluctantly sharing her idol's nude photos with her, claiming it was—under the witness of her idol—that she had made a good friend.

Xu Sui lifted the corner of her mouth; she liked Hu Qianxi too, cheerful and adorable, and eventually, the two grew increasingly close.

On Friday, Xu Sui and Liang Shuang were having a meal at the second cafeteria. Remembering Hu Qianxi, who hadn't eaten yet back in the dorm, Xu Sui texted her to ask what she wanted, planning to bring her a takeaway.

After sending the message, Xu Sui put down her phone and focused on eating. Shortly after, Liang Shuang nudged her arm excitedly, whispering, "Damn, look, Bai Yuyue's boyfriend just showed up."

"f**k, Zhou Jingze."

Xu Sui froze for a moment, then mechanically lifted her head to look. Amid the noisy cafeteria, she spotted him instantly. Bai Yuyue's boyfriend was standing in line with her. Once Bai Yuyue got her food, she turned around holding a silver tray.

The boy stood to her left, hands in his pockets, his posture casual. Bai Yuyue occasionally looked up to speak to him, her eyes shining like stars when she met his gaze. He lowered his head, responding with a faint tug at the corner of his mouth to whatever she had said.

Suddenly, someone brushed past Bai Yuyue, nearly bumping into her. The boy swiftly raised his hand, pulling her close by the shoulder, and frowned as he told her to watch her step.

Xu Sui's stomach churned with discomfort, her appetite gone. She lowered her eyes, mechanically chewing the rice in her mouth, finding it utterly tasteless.

The two found seats and sat down, coincidentally just diagonally in front of them. Xu Sui could only see his profile from where she was.

Liang Shuang was still secretly watching the two of them. The guy was too outstanding, sitting there for just a short while before drawing sidelong glances from passersby.

Liang Shuang sighed as she watched, "Look, Bai Yuyue's grin is practically reaching the back of her head. But then again, if I had a boyfriend who was both handsome and this amazing, I'd be over the moon too."

"This is actually my first time seeing Zhou Jingze. I heard he changes girlfriends really quickly—the shortest not lasting more than a month, the longest no more than three months. How long do you think Bai Yuyue will last by his side this time?" Liang Shuang poked at the green beans on her plate, her face full of gossipy curiosity as she asked.

"How do you know his name is Zhou Jingze?" Xu Sui didn't want to speculate about the shelf life of his girlfriends, so she casually threw out another question.

"Of course! Didn’t I say I wanted to find a pilot boyfriend? I’ve been lurking in Beihang University’s forums for ages. I’ve got all the inside info on several of their most famous heartthrobs. Plus, with Bai Yuyue’s flamboyant personality, who in class doesn’t know she’s dating some hotshot?" Liang Shuang tapped her chopsticks on the table like a storyteller. "Want me to spill all the juicy details?"

Xu Su smiled but didn’t respond.

"Zhou Jingze, certified heartthrob, 185 cm tall, freshman in the Flight Technology program at Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Wanna know what makes him so legendary?" Liang Shuang posed the question, eager to engage her audience.

Xu Su played along and shook her head. Liang Shuang continued, "Rumor has it his mother is a famous cellist, and his father is some big-shot businessman. I heard that in high school, he was originally a music arts student, studying cello, planning to go to Austria after the college entrance exams to specialize in music. But guess what happened?"

"The handsome rebel suddenly changed his mind and decided to stay in the country to study aviation, enrolling in Beihang University as a liberal arts student with outstandingly high scores," Liang Shuang said.

"His grandfather was an engineer in national aircraft manufacturing, though he retired several years ago. His grandmother is a music professor at a university. With such a background, it feels like he could excel in anything," Liang Shuang sighed as she spoke. "I really envy people like him, always excelling at everything and appearing effortlessly capable."

"You're excellent too, just a bit lacking in hair," Xu Sui comforted.

Liang Shuang burst into laughter, not expecting someone as well-behaved-looking as Xu Sui to c***k a dry joke. She then recalled another piece of gossip and whispered, "I read on a forum that Zhou Jingze had his tattoo removed before the college entrance exams to pass the physical. I think it sounds fake, probably just boasting."

"No, it's true." Xu Sui suddenly spoke up, her tone resolute.

Liang Shuang froze for two seconds, then winked at her teasingly: "How do you know it's true? Could it be that you've been secretly following him too? Do you like him?"

Having her girlish secret inadvertently exposed, Xu Sui choked on her water upon hearing this, coughing violently with her face turning bright red. Liang Shuang immediately reached out to pat her back.

Both Xu Sui and Zhou Jingze attended Tianzhong High School and were classmates. She truly hadn't meant to hide it, but explaining would be too complicated.

Besides, there was no point in her saying it out loud.

Zhou Jingze probably didn't remember her anymore.

Xu Sui glanced at the two not far away—Bai Yuyue was eating, while Zhou Jingze had clearly come to accompany her. He hadn't eaten either, just lounged lazily against the chair, playing a game on his phone.

His other hand rested on the table, the faint blue veins on the back of his hand visible—long, slender, and clean.

"Just a guess. Look, there's a white mark on the back of his hand—clearly from a removed tattoo," Xu Suili said with a sudden inspiration.

Liang Shuang turned around and indeed saw a conspicuous white mark on Zhou Jingze's hand, looking like a recently removed tattoo.

"Master of details," Liang Shuang gave Xu Sui a thumbs-up.

After the meal, Xu Sui returned to the dormitory and brought Hu Qianxi a takeout of shrimp and scrambled eggs. Hu Qianxi immediately hugged her and cried, "Thank you, my dear Suisui!"

Xu Sui patted her shoulder, hesitating slightly as she walked to the desk to pick up a book. A week ago, she had witnessed him flirting with another girl on the rooftop, and she hadn't been back there for days.

But deep down, she was still afraid of seeing that scene again, so Xu Sui ultimately chose to go to the library instead.

In the evening, after completing several sets of exercises and reviewing some medical knowledge at the library, Xu Sui returned to her dorm. Hu Qianxi was sitting on her bed, painting her toenails with a grape-purple polish that had glittery shimmer.

"Suisui, want to paint yours?" Hu Qianxi waved the nail polish bottle at her.

"Never mind," Xu Sui sat down and poured herself a glass of water, "I'm afraid I won't be able to resist picking at my feet."

"Hahahahahahaha," Hu Xixi couldn't help but laugh. What a strange and bizarre habit.

Xu Sui looked innocent. She had OCD, and if she painted her nails, she really wouldn't be able to resist picking at them. Last year during the New Year, her little cousin dragged her to get a manicure, and within a day, Xu Sui had picked at her nails until they looked like a bald old man's.

"By the way, Suisui, are you free tomorrow, Saturday?" Hu Xixi closed the lid and asked her, "Can you accompany me to Beihang University? I have something at my uncle's place and need to go there."

"Yes, I'll go with you."

On the weekend, Hu Qianxi slept until noon. After getting ready, the two of them headed out together. As they passed the cafeteria, Xu Sui was about to go in when Hu Qianxi grabbed her arm and winked, saying, "Don't bother, someone's treating us to lunch."

Beihang University was right next door, and it took them about ten minutes to walk to the campus gate. But their campus was so large that after wandering around for half an hour, they still couldn't find the School of Aeronautics.

Hu Qianxi sent a WeChat voice message complaining: "Did your school bury some treasure or something? It's like the Dragon Ridge Labyrinth—who are you trying to keep out? I'm completely lost walking around here."

Not knowing what message had come through on the other end of the call, Hu Xixi turned off her phone screen and said, "My uncle said he's coming to pick us up, told us to wait."

In less than ten minutes, Hu Xixi's eyes lit up as if she'd spotted new land, waving excitedly at the opposite side, "Uncle, we're over here!"

Xu Sui was standing to the side, browsing Beihang University's promotional materials when she turned her head at the sound. Then she saw Zhou Jingze. He stood at the center, surrounded by a few boys who seemed to orbit around him like stars. Zhou Jingze held a cigarette between his fingers, his pace leisurely and unhurried, the group chatting and laughing around him. His expression was relaxed, a roguish smile playing on his lips.

She never expected it to be him.

She caught a glimpse of the crimson at his fingertips. As Zhou Jingze drew nearer, the contours of his brow and the bridge of his straight nose became increasingly distinct. Her heart raced wildly, like that faint smear of crimson—weak yet uncontrollably burning.

Zhou Jingze clearly noticed them too. Raising the hand holding his cigarette toward his companions, he then strode in their direction. A boy standing beside Zhou Jingze arched an eyebrow and deliberately remarked as they got closer, "Well, if it isn't the young lady Qianxi?"

Qianxi, Qianxi—sounds like 'you owe me a death,'" Hu Qianxi muttered. She dashed over in a few quick steps and punched the boy, scowling as she said, "Sheng Nan Zhou, I told you not to call me that. If you won't use my full name, just call me by my English name, Tracy.

"Looks like you're asking for a beating," Sheng Nan Zhou said with dead seriousness.

Seeing that it was two girls, Zhou Jingze stubbed out his cigarette and tossed it into a nearby trash bin. He walked up to them, his voice carrying a hint of hoarseness from smoking, and asked, "Have you eaten yet?"

"Not yet, I was just waiting for you to ask," Hu Xixi said, linking arms with Xu Sui. "Oh, this is my roommate, Xu Sui."

Under normal social circumstances, Xu Sui should have taken the initiative to say something at this point, but with them standing so close, her mind went completely blank.

Zhou Jingze looked at the girl before him, a fleeting sense of familiarity passing through his mind—too quick to grasp. He frowned slightly, lifting his gaze to meet hers, his voice textured like sandpaper, deep and pleasant to the ear.

"Hello, Zhou Jingze."